With the rise in popularity of the sport of basketball and the frequency of larger players, it has become a well-known and sensational shot to “slam dunk” or dunk the ball. When a player dunks the ball, the player jumps to a position adjacent to and preferably above the basketball rim, stuffs the ball through the net, and may impact, hold or hang from the basketball rim. In such a situation, the sudden impact force combined with a rigid rim structure can lead to injury of the player or damage to the rim and/or backboard. As a result, resilient breakaway basketball rims have become popular.
A typical breakaway basketball goal includes a rim assembly including a rim and an attachment bracket. The attachment bracket is attached to the backboard. Frequent impacts and/or sudden shear pressures can wear on the bracket, leading to breakage of the bracket and/or backboard. Accordingly, there is a need for a safer backboard and basketball rim mounting system. The present invention addresses these needs.